User Reviews

Overall: I think this is the BEST nonrealistic hockey game made. I've had it since release and still play it a lot. It's exciting and the 3 vs 3 really keeps the games intense. It's awesome to play with friends and even against the computer. It's a little rough but the graphics are very good in my opinion and it has an amazing gameplay and replay value.Gameplay: This is the funnest hockey game I've ever played. I've gone through career a couple of times and really have created totally different teams. It's nice to see the style you choose really affects a player. Ie. One team I have has a pure offense line, pure checking, and one defense/offense line where as another team is more each line is a little of everything and it totally changes how you can play that team and how the AI on your team plays. However, once you master your team and its style it becomes pretty easy to beat the computer on the highest level. Not sure if it's just my style but I can run the score up to about 25-1 on the hardest level where my brother has trouble getting the score this high. Either way the difficulty should be higher but this is the only set back.Graphics: Visually it can be a little rough around the edges. You can't do much to change the facial details of players but you can customize the bodies, equipment, and even give a crazy head like a rat or zombie. There's a lot of different rinks to choose from, from an outdoor rink to a kids play room. The hits in the game are also great and the players move very smoothly for this style of game. In some environments you can hit over boards where you shouldn't be able to which is annoying at times but a minor set back.Sound: Sound is pretty good. The hits you can here very well and when a player is hit into the boards hard you know it. The announcers aren't too bad but should have had some more sayings and incite to keep them interesting. But you have a very wide range of nicknames to choose from for you players and your teams which is a plus.

Overall: Easily one of the best sports game for multiplayer out there! when played with friends this game never gets tired!Gameplay: Gameplay is fantastic, every goal you score is different, players look realistic, and time after time when you make a huge hit people who are watching still go whoah!!!Graphics: Using High Definition wires and true 480p this game looks fantastic with vibrant colours and details unlike any other hockey game. The crowd is detailed, the players faces are as realistic as they come, and the game is very smooth.Sound: Perfection, when you score the sound the horn and crowd actually get you excited, all other sounds are as realistic as they come including hitting the post, slapshots etc etc.Suggestions: Please Acclaim bring out an updated 3 on 3 game like this!!!!
3 on 3 Hitz 20-05!!! pleeeeease

Overall: Overall this game was pretty good. Its more fun if you play it with get together then alone. This is more of a arcade hockey game then realistic, which is a nice change.Gameplay: The only reason you should really place this game is to play against another human. Player vs. Computer is way too easy even on the most difficult mode. Although the franchise mode is pleasing because you do get to buy stuff with you points.Graphics: It had nice graphics for the players and rink designs. Also the additional costumes and other things were nice too.
But the elements (like fire) and crowd designs were way off! There should be more detail in that.Sound: The sound was great! From the announcers to the slap shots. Although the announcers need more lines... But I guess the hits make up for it.Suggestions: Make the Player vs. Computer mode harder!

Overall: Best sports game for the Xbox. A fast-paced arcade-style game, perfect for 2 players or a franchise-oriented single player. I debated not upgrading my 20-02, but I'm glad I did (the bat-head players make it worth it!)Gameplay: It seems to be made for two equally skilled human combatants, but I enjoy the franchise mode as well (though it gets silly-hard pretty quick). Slight improvements over the 20-02 gameplay (you have to work a little harder for your 1-timers now). The amount of custom teams and players is great!Graphics: It's gorgeous! Player models are fantastic, customized players and arenas look great. Sound: Can't say I really like the second commentator they added, but the commentary runs just about as smooth as 20-02. Game sounds are good, but not really improved over previous version.Suggestions: If you don't make the next one live-playable, I'm not buying it!

Overall: I thought this game was okay. midaway screwed it up again for me. i am not a fan of serious sports games (only nfl fever 2003). It got too realistic.Gameplay: It is just like the original, but more serous about things and stupid mini games. the thing that bugged me the most was when i played my first game. i get ready to type in a code, BUT WAIT, U CAN'T. that's right no codes. a major blow for meGraphics: visuals were really good in this game. they really worked on this a lot. it was very smooth and real. Sound: this game utilizes the fact that xbox can play its own music. play ur own tracks, even if the order gets messed up. Suggestions: u already ruined blitz, now hitz?

Overall: It is an awesome game. I played this game for hours and hours. I never get tired of watching the avalanche beat the detroit red wings.Gameplay: Alittle slow it has huge hitting best fighting for a game and great scoring. And the options for gameplay are fully adjustable.Graphics: Great graphics a few mess ups but they can only be noticed in instant replay. Otherwise they are awesome.Sound: good sound. no crappy annoucing like in other games. great breaking class and huge hits. the sticks hitting the ice make me think im watchin a live hockey game.Suggestions: keep more hitz games comin!!!

Overall: This game is a an awesome game, it is full of goodness. There are lots of differnet things you can do including franchise, season, exhibition and tournament modes.Gameplay: The game play is pretty good. Season mode allows you to trade players, have a fantasy draft which i am addicted to, it allows you to choose how many games you play. Franchise mode allows you to start of with 6 players and a goalie and create your team and build them up. You can automate your layers or you can create them yourself. In tourney mode you select the team you want to be and you create a tourney, and you select which teams you play against, you can even include your franchise teams in the tourney. Exhibition is like normal where you just play one match with your selected team against another selected team. Hockey school is really easy to complete, but it will help you out starting off at learning the controlls.Graphics: The graphics are pretty good, the fact that they have a 3D crowd is a breakthrough. The 3D crowd tops off a game already full of good graphics. The reflections of players on the ice is a good touch and the fire affects are pretty good. The replay vaule is great, there is so much you can do in replay you can see it from every angle and distance away, the only down is you can see it from outside the rink.Sound: The sound is great as well. There is so much commentary, some calls become a bit old, but with all the nicknames you can choose from and all the 600 players in the NHL, that is a lot of sounds that they had to record, and the havent let us done. This sound is good bone crunching sound that makes the game what it is.Suggestions: Create an even better trade player option, like you start of with $10,000 dollars plus all of your 11 players and you trade say an 78 player for an 83 player except you give them say $2500 along with the 78 player. And you should have the option to get injuries, and you have to use left over money from the trade period or maybe money you have earnt through the game to get that player back on the rink.

Overall: This game is for fans of hockey that love to see hard hitting combined with amazing finese. The fun factor is very high, especially when you play against your friends. This is the ultimate in arcade style hockey. If you buy this game thinking it will be at all realistic, then this game is not for you. Overall, this game is just flat out fun to play.Gameplay: The gameplay is fast, but has been slowed down from 2002. This makes cycling the puck and defense more important aspects. Don't expect to score 10 goals on one-timers, the way you could in 2002. The gamplay is a bit more realistic, but still NHL Hitz to the core. The controls are solid and very responsive. Midway even added a few more functions to more utilize the X-Box controler. Graphics: Visually this game is great. Most of the players look just like the real-deal, with actual player faces a new feature. The arenas are bigger and packed with more fans and more details. In franchise mode, you can equip your custom team with various articles of equipment from such manufactureres as Bauer, CCM, Itec, Louisville, and mouch more. This adds a very fun dimension to the game, as better pieces of equipment provide better skill boosts and keep things interesting.Sound: The sound is as good as ever. Teeth-rattling checks, blistering slapshots, and fitting music make you feel the action. The cheesey over-the-top play-by-play man brings an element of fun to the game and emphasizes the arcade-style gameplay.Suggestions: Vary the crowds a bit more. While they are definitely better than 2002, they could be better. Work to make all of the players a perfect epitomy of their real-life counterparts. It was obvious Colorado received some extra attention while other players didn't quite resemble who they should. And finally, keep up the good work!

Overall: This game is awesome. Its better then the first. and a lot harder hitting. And the mini games are fun.Gameplay: This game keeps u occupied, in that u play ur friends, u beat ur friends, ur friends attempt to hurt you, u fight them off, they challenge u to a rematch, and u beat the living crap out of them a second time. and so on. Some of the mini games are fun too, while others are not.Graphics: This is great. The replays are awesoome. u can actually see the players faces at times in replays and they all look nice. My only problem with this, is that, alhtough the crowd is fully 3d, they are all waying jeans and blue or brown baseball hats. strange.Sound: bones crushing, sirens for goals, fists smacking, stick checking, body checking, checking thru the glass. all awesome.Suggestions: more mini games that involve violence. hehehe. like the checking only mini game. that kept me ocupied wit friends for like an hour.

Overall: If you are a hard core hockey fan, you will have to look past the fact that this is not really hockey. I don't think it was intended to be hockey. Once you can do that, and put up with a few bugs, this game is kind of cool.

This is a great game if you only have a short time to play. You can crank out a game in a little over 10 minutes.

I would recommend renting this one first if you have never played a Miday sports game, to make sure its right for you. I like them, but you may not.Gameplay: Its not hockey. Its played on ice, with sticks and pucks, but its not hockey. Its faster, more brutal, and has way fewer rules.

The only penalties are for fighting and roughing the goalie. I would like to be able to turn off the roughing the goalie penalty, and make it a true free-for-all.

You can even play with your goalie. In my season, Ed Belfour has 11 goals. Ed has a decent wrist shot. Ed Rocks!

THERE ARE BUGS IN THIS GAME!!!! Sometimes after a face-off one of your players will be frozen in place, and will stay there until he is knocked down. Another bug that has happened twice to me is after when the game ends, and I'm trying to advance to the main menu the game freezes with a humming noise comming from the TV. If you don't save after every game, you could lose many game results. I had to replay 10 games once, and I was not happy so now I save after every game.Graphics: About what I would expect from an X-BOX title. I certainly would expect no less. Players resemble their real counter-parts, but in my opinion other hockey titles have done better. Animations for the most part fine. The fighting is less cheesy than in most hockey games.Sound: Again, this is what I expect from X-BOX. Nothing out of the ordinary here, but it doesn't suck either. The music tracks are more hockey oriented than some of the other hockey titles.Suggestions: Fix the bugs.

Overall: This is an amazing game that is right for not only pure hockey fans, but also for those who aren't usually a fan of the genre. It's also a great party game that will last you many hours with your friends. The gameplay is great, it's very fast, the graphics are beautiful, and the sound is very realistic. Overall this is an awesome game that is right for almost everybody.Gameplay: The gameplay is tight. Everything flows smoothly from the opening faceoff. Although, I did notice a couple of bugs. In some situations the goalie will not grab the puck when it is up against the side of the net, causing you to struggle to the other side of the net to grab it when the goalie could simply get it himself. Another thing I found is that often a player will be skating and if you attempt to hit him, your hit will have no effect. Normally you would have to do a spin deke to dodge a hit, but sometimes you can make a hit and nothing happens. I suppose this falls under the player's balance category, but I found it a tad bit disappointing. Other than that I have no problems with the gameplay. The hits are earth shattering, there are lots of goals, but the games usually tend to be very very tight. This will usually keep your friends from getting angry and uninterested after you whoop them 13-2. Keep in mind though that this is an arcade game, not a sim, so the gameplay is much different than what you would find in NHL 2003 or NHL 2k3.Graphics: The graphics in this game are great. That was the first thing I noticed about the game. The reflections on the ice are beautiful, the players look amazing, even the fans are 3D. However, the reflections on the ice remain just as beautiful at the end of a period as they are at the end. It would be nice if the ice slowly became chopped up. It would make it more realistic. Just a thought.Sound: The sounds are great. I have no problem with them. The soundtrack is also pretty good. There's some Limp Bizkit, Korn, and a few other cool tracks playing in the menus. The sound effects during the game seem very realistic, but also match the impact of the extra hard hits and the speedy slap shots.Suggestions: Try to fix that problem with the hits. It's the only thing that tends to frustrate me with the game.

Overall: Since this was the first 2003 hockey game on the market this season, I HAD to get it just to sooth my nerves. Us Canadians can't go without hockey for too long, or we get wierd. I bought it on a whim, only reading about three people's opinions on it. I knew, getting it, that it was a total arcade game, but lots of the key things like real players and teams as well as little things like earning equipment to put on your players, sounded fun to me. I was looking for something to fill the time until NHL2K3 comes out in November, however I was very surprised and pleased with the quality of this game!Gameplay: Three on three, three minute periods and fast paced gameplay make this a definate arcade title. It's basically "run up and down the ice on rush after rush of crazy scoring attempts", similar to NBA Jam and NFL Blitz. But oh boy, is it fun with two or more people, screaming at each other the whole time and laughing at the incredible goals you just scored on each other. The other gamestyles like Season and Franchise are incredibly in-depth and will add so much replay value to the game. It's the type of game where you'll sit down and play for 6 hours straight without noticing, and those kinds are few and far between.Graphics: This is easily the high point of the game. The graphics are absolutely top notch! The crowd is fully 3D, and the animations are very diverse. Goalies will stack their pads and kick the puck over the glass, skaters will deke defensemen out of their shorts, all while looking exactly like the real players. Faces are really good, and body sizes are very believable. I don't think the EA game, which is usually the top graphical game, will touch the graphic quality in this game.Sound: The sound in the game is very good as well. The crowd reacts to the play on the ice, and the announcer is actually aware of the score and game situation. The game music is only ok, but you are also able to use your own music which is definately a good thing. There's so many "hockey songs" that you never hear in these games, now you can.Suggestions: For an arcade game, you couldn't make this any better! Tiny things like Jose Theodore is the wrong hand are the only quibbles I can think of for this game.